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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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As I entered the house, I saw my father standing awkwardly on the living room sofa. He seemed to have been reading the newspaper and hastily getting up. He must have been surprised to hear Sung-hyun’s name.
First, I approached him and gave my father a warm hug.
“How have you been? It’s been too long since I visited, hasn’t it?”
Believe it or not, I’m quite an affectionate son at home.
My father, accustomed to this, hugged me back. He patted my back lightly and spoke with a hint of concern.
“You seem to have lost a lot of weight.”
“Really? How do I look, a bit more handsome?”
“My son was always handsome.”
“Well, I guess genes don’t go anywhere, do they? I take after you, Dad.”
Anyone who saw us would be surprised. Our father-son conversation was unusually warm, almost excessively so.
Indeed, Ahn Sung-hyun, watching from behind, had a surprised look on his face. Don’t look at me like that, it’s embarrassing.
Well, my father and I weren’t always like this. Basically, when I was little, I tended to be out more than at home, and my father had few changes in expression and even fewer words, giving him a gruff impression.
Ironically, our father-son relationship improved when I became a recluse at home.
Originally, my father, ‘Kang Mu-hyuk,’ was, like most fathers in Korea, a person who was very awkward at expressing himself.
It was evident even in how he cared for his wife and children.
He was someone who believed that slaving away to earn money was better than a single warm, affectionate word.
Such was my father, who had been madly devoted to his work, but he was shocked because of me and changed. He changed professions to dedicate more time to the family, forced a move, and began to express himself directly.
At first, the change was awkward, but… I, too, have a conscience. I was an unfilial child who even refused to go to school, so shouldn’t I at least lessen my parents’ worries? So, I deliberately put on all the charm I had, acting affectionately.
Thanks to that, expressing affection to my mother and father now feels natural and not awkward.
…But seeing this side of me by someone else is incredibly embarrassing. And I don’t like that that ‘someone’ happens to be Ahn Sung-hyun. He’s the guy who knows my childhood self so well, isn’t he?
“Ahem! Hey, greet him, you idiot.”
I unnecessarily cleared my throat and nudged Ahn Sung-hyun. He greeted my father with an awkward expression.
“Ah, hello. Uncle, it’s Sung-hyun.”
“…Yes, it’s been a long time.”
My father nodded with a gruff expression and a low voice. But I could tell that my father was very surprised. My father, who rarely shows changes in expression, was very surprised at this level.
But Ahn Sung-hyun couldn’t possibly know that. From his perspective, he probably thought my father was staring at him.
Indeed, Ahn Sung-hyun was sending me signals to save him. Come to think of it, this guy used to find my father more difficult than his own father.
I chuckled inwardly and left him alone. You idiot, my dad’s different from how he used to be.
Sure enough, my father put on his glasses, which he had taken off, and continued the conversation first.
“You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you. I thought both you and Cheol-jin were on the smaller side.”
“Haha… A lot of time has passed. I’ve grown a lot, haven’t I?”
“No, I mean your build, not your height. As for height, Seung-hoon and your aunt were tall, so that’s fine.”
“Ah, I’ve been working out a bit.”
‘Seung-hoon’ is Ahn Sung-hyun’s father’s name. For reference, my father is two years older.
‘When I was little, I used to brag that my dad was older.’
A sudden memory from the past brought a smile to my face. Back then, it felt like winning if your dad was older.
While Ahn Sung-hyun awkwardly exchanged a few words with my father.
“It’s all ready. Everyone, come and sit down~!”
My mother’s special meal was complete.
·
As we took our seats at the table.
My mother used a typical phrase.
“Ho ho, there’s not much prepared, but eat a lot.”
How can there be “not much prepared” but “eat a lot”? Where did this strange saying come from?
“Wow, did you do all of this by yourself? The table legs are going to break.”
Ahn Sung-hyun genuinely exclaimed in admiration.
I nodded in agreement. The table was so lavish that it truly felt like the legs might break. Our mother really showed off her skills because her son was visiting after a long time.
My father picked up his spoon first and took a bite.
We quickly picked up our spoons too. We were already hungry, and seeing such a feast in front of us made our mouths water. My mother gestured for us to eat.
“Mother, I’ll eat well.”
“I’ll eat well!”
Today’s meal was mostly Western-style.
First, a bite of Aglio e Olio pasta. Next, I cut and ate steak, then put gambas on pasta and took another bite.
“Mmmph.”
A gasp of admiration escaped my lips naturally. This was indeed my mother’s cooking.
“Is it delicious, son?”
“What’s there to say? The thing I miss most while living alone is not being able to eat your cooking.”
“Oh, you. Then come home more often.”
“I was busy because it’s the beginning of the semester. I’ll come often from now on.”
She must have been quite disappointed, as she kept repeating the same words. I should make an effort to visit at least once a month.
“Sung-hyun, does the food suit your taste?”
“Gulp. It’s really delicious. Auntie’s cooking was always delicious, but… it seems your cooking skills have improved even more.”
“Ho ho. Let me know if you need more.”
Our mother loves to cook and loves feeding delicious food to others even more. She smiled contentedly as we devoured the food like gluttons.
Even though it would have been a good time to catch up on stories, we all, without exception, focused quietly on eating.
“Ugh, I’m full…”
Having finished the meal,
“Here, have some tea and fruit.”
My mother brought out black tea and various kinds of fruit. She must be trying to fatten me up before I leave, since it’s been a long time since I visited.
“Sung-hyun, how are your parents doing?”
“Yes? Oh, they’re just doing well. Their house is still the same as where they used to live.”
“I see. I should contact them after a long time.”
“My mother will be happy to hear from you too.”
Several more questions followed for Ahn Sung-hyun. Won’t they contact each other after we leave? It feels like these broken ties are being reconnected.
Next, questions flew my way.
“Son, how’s school life these days?”
“Oh, just… I’m doing well. I’ve made a lot of friends, and my grades seem to be okay.”
“Are you eating well? You’ve lost too much weight. Your face has become half its size.”
My mother spoke to me with concern… It’s a little embarrassing. Honestly, I’m not that “half-sized.” Rather, I’m on the plump side.
I deliberately raised my arm and said,
“I’m eating well. The weight loss is from working out. See this?”
As I flexed my bicep, a respectable bulge of muscle appeared. Before, it was just covered in fat and jiggled, but this was a huge improvement.
I grinned and looked back at my father, then playfully said,
“I might be stronger than you now, Dad.”
“…Hmm?”
My father, who was eating fruit, raised one eyebrow and looked back at me. Then, he let out a small chuckle.
…What was that? For some reason, I felt offended. It felt like he was really underestimating me.
I somehow bristled and said,
“No, I’m serious! I’m getting personal training, and I even got an offer to compete. They say I have talent.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
My father nodded with an indifferent face. His attitude showed he wasn’t even paying attention. It even felt a bit condescending. This is getting to me.
“…Dad, a round of arm wrestling?”
“Oh, you! How old is your dad! He’s over fifty, son.”
My mother slapped my arm to stop me.
But that seemed to pique my father’s interest instead. My father, who had been eating fruit despite my provocation, cleared his throat with a “Hmm!” and said,
“Let’s do it over there.”
My father pointed to the low table.
I nodded and headed to the table.
“Oh my, are you really going to do it? Honey, you’ll hurt yourself. What if you get injured?”
“Uncle, Cheol-jin is probably quite strong…”
My mother and Ahn Sung-hyun worried about my father.
At that, I smirked and provoked him.
“Should we just not do it? I’m worried Dad might get hurt…”
“…”
My father silently placed his arm on the table. His face was still expressionless, but I could tell he had taken the bait. A slight wrinkle appeared between his brows.
I also put my arm up and took my stance. With my left hand, we supported each other’s elbows to keep them from wobbling, and we clasped our right hands together.
An impromptu arm wrestling match had begun.
I was slightly nervous. I could feel considerable strength in the hand I was clasping. Of course, I didn’t think I would lose. Sister Seora said so. That I was naturally gifted.
Sung-hyun acted as the referee.
“Alright, completely relax your hands. No wrist bending. Ready~ Go!”
Snap!
I had intended to overpower him in one go.
‘Oh, my dad’s stronger than I thought?’
It didn’t go down.
I inwardly admired him and applied more force. Until this moment, I had no thought of losing.
“Huuuuff!”
My father didn’t budge, even with my desperate effort.
For a while, there was a tense struggle of strength…
“Hmm. Shall I let it go?”
“Huh?”
…It wasn’t tense.
“Hmm!”
As my father put a little effort in with a slight grunt.
Thump.
My arm went down easily. There was no resisting it. It just smoothly fell.
“…Huh?”
This is absurd. What was that?
As I stood there dumbfounded, my mother made a fuss.
“Oh my, oh my! How did you win? You’re still strong, honey?”
“Son, you need to work out a bit more.”
“…T-try with your left hand.”
A rematch with the other hand!
Thud.
I lost instantly.
“No…”
I wanted to make an excuse, but no words came out. How is this the strength of a fifty-year-old?
As I stood dumbfounded again, Ahn Sung-hyun patted my shoulder and said,
“Hey, Cheol-jin, want to work out with me? I think strength training would be good for you, not just muscle hypertrophy.”
“…Hey, you try. It’s not that I’m weak; Dad is incredibly strong.”
“Oh come on, but I have experience with working out.”
This guy is unbelievable, isn’t he? I’m telling you, it’s not that I’m weak!
Just then, my father spoke as if to defend me.
“Since we’re at it, let’s have Sung-hyun try too.”
“Huh? Really? Uncle, since that time… No, I’ll try my best not to get hurt.”
“Wow, this guy obviously thinks he’s going to win. Just you wait.”
And so the arm wrestling began.
Thud.
As expected, the winner was my father.
“Sung-hyun, you need to work out a bit more too.”
“No…”
“See that, you idiot! I told you my dad’s strong!”
I cut off his attempt to make excuses and shouted. Yeah, I told you it’s not that I’m weak! Secretly, I was relieved that Ahn Sung-hyun lost.
“Strength training? Workout experience? Dude, I haven’t even been working out for a year, and you… Ugh.”
I said that on purpose to tease him.
“…Kang Cheol-jin, come here.”
He was properly provoked.
I flinched inwardly but didn’t back down and put my arm up. As Ahn Sung-hyun and I clasped hands, my parents watched with intrigued expressions. My father acted as the referee.
“Relax your hands, ready. Go.”
“Hurry up!”
“Huuuuff!”
A battle of pride!
“Ughhh!”
“Grrrgh!”
Unlike with my father, this was a truly intense match. A look of surprise crossed Ahn Sung-hyun’s face. On the other hand, I smiled, thinking it was more manageable than I expected. Come to think of it, when we were little, I won every sport, not just arm wrestling.
In the end, the winner was…
Thud.
“Pow! Ahn Sung-hyun, you idiot, I won!”
A look of defeat filled Ahn Sung-hyun’s face. Hahaha!
Come to think of it, it’s true.
Who did I inherit this body from that Sister Seora praised so much? It was inherited from my father.
My father, Kang Mu-hyuk.
He’s 185cm tall and weighs over 90kg.
He was a true man’s man, taller and bigger than me.
‘Phew, still, I’m glad I beat Ahn Sung-hyun.’
Thanks to that, my pride, which had been crushed by my father, was restored.
On the other hand, Ahn Sung-hyun fell into despair.
“Everything I’ve done until now…”
His face was filled with resignation. At this point, I almost felt sorry for winning. My father, too, seemed to feel the same, looking at Ahn Sung-hyun with an awkward expression.
Just then, my mother got up and went into the room.
I wondered if she was avoiding the situation.
“Kids, want to see this?”
My mother came out holding a picture frame. It had quite a bit of dust on it. My eyes widened when I saw it.
“Oh? No way, is this…”
“Ho ho, it’s your dad. Isn’t he cool?”
The person in the frame was my father in his younger days.
But his attire was unusual.
Never mind the buzz cut.
He was wearing only speedos, completely shirtless.
Ripped muscles, a medal around his neck, and a trophy in his hand.
I looked back at my father with surprised eyes.
“Did you used to work out?”
“Hmm. A little, back then…”
My father was uncharacteristically embarrassed.
On the other hand, my mother giggled and patted my father’s shoulder.
“It wasn’t ‘a little.’ Fitness? You even won that competition.”
“Even if it was a win, it was an amateur competition, what’s the big deal?”
“Don’t pretend it’s nothing. You carried only chicken breast around on our dates just to compete in that. Do you know how surprised I was to see you leave in the middle of a movie to eat chicken breast?”
“Ahem.”
My father cleared his throat.
I had never heard this story before, so I looked back and forth between the photo and my father with curious eyes.
‘So that’s why he’s so strong.’
He wasn’t just naturally gifted; he had seriously worked out. To the extent of competing and winning. Even if it was an amateur competition, the muscles in the frame were no joke.
Ahn Sung-hyun also seemed to recover a bit after seeing that.
“Wow, that’s insane. Uncle, you must have worked out incredibly hard.”
“I just did it haphazardly, that’s all. Back then, it wasn’t as systematic as it is now. You guys can do even better.”
My father spoke at length, seemingly quite embarrassed.
I admired him, constantly looking at the picture frame.
‘He’s so cool.’
Even though the picture quality wasn’t great, the clearly defined muscles were impressive. His broad shoulders and chest, and his abs were no joke either. My father had an eight-pack, not a six-pack. His thighs were incredibly defined too.
Just as I was admiring him,
Ahn Sung-hyun cleared his throat with an “ahem” and suddenly pulled out his phone.
“Want to see mine too?”
“Huh? Did you compete too?”
“No, not a competition, but I had a body profile photoshoot last year.”
And then he showed a few photos on his phone.
“Wow, what is this?”
“Hmm? Is this how body profiles are taken these days?”
Before I knew it, my father was also looking at the photos and expressing surprise.
And for good reason, because it wasn’t an ordinary body profile.
In the photo, Ahn Sung-hyun was shirtless and engulfed in flames.
A straw hat.
A cross drawn on his back.
A rosary-like necklace around his neck.
It was a familiar character.
Ahn Sung-hyun had cosplayed as Ace from One Piece and used special effects to take his body profile photos.
‘He’s so cool.’
It was frustrating, but I had to admit it.
This has a coolness that appeals to the otaku sensibility.
‘Damn it, I told my sister I wasn’t going to compete.’
Seeing my father’s old photos made my heart waver. Should I tell her I’ll compete again? Or should I take a cosplay body profile like Sung-hyun?
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